Rail clamp



R. S. BUTLER Get. 9 1923.

RAI-L CLIAMP Filed May 1 1922 2 Sheets-Shed 1 R. S.- BUTLER RAIL CLAMPFiled May 19. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 61th): we q Patented Oct. 9, 1923.

UNITED stares meats P ATENT oFFjicE. .11

ROBERT s. BUTLER, or JOPLTN, MIss UaI.

RAIL CLAMP.

Application filed Ma 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing. at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements'in Rail Clamps,of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rail clamps, and

the cylinder and shovel being mounted on a wheeled frame adapted totravel on a track, and in the present invention, I provide a clampadapted'to be secured to the frame in any suitable manner to retain itin position when the shovelis thrust forwardly into a pile of material,or to prevent the machine from overturning when aloadecl dipper iselevated andextended.

An obj ect of the invention is the provision of a pneumaticallycontrolled clamp that may be quickly attached to the rail and releasedtherefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of theinvention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a rail clamp in position,

Figure 2 is a plan view,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on line 4.4= of Figure 1, and,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the movable aw of the clamp.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1* designates acylinder having a suitable inlet opening 2 adapted to be connected to asource of supply by a pipe 3.

A depending arm 4 is cast with the cylinder and the upper end of thisarm terminates in a hook 5, adapted to be arrange-d over a suitablesupport 6. The depending arm is substantially T-shaped in transversecross-section, being provided with a flange 7. The lower end of the armis offset laterally, as at 8, and is provided with a fixed jaw 9 havinga recess 10 to engage the tread or ball of the rail; The upper and lowerwalls of this recess are parallel, as at 11, but are brackets 19.

1922. Serial No. 562,208.

arranged at an angle. This jaw is adapted to be arranged on one side ofthe tread or ball of a rail 12, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and ifdesired, a suitable-shim 13 may be arranged between the jaw and theouter side of the tread to prevent wear on the jaw, and to permit of abetter hold on the rail. The shim is provided with offset ends 14:,adapted to engage the sides of the jaw.

I A movable-jaw 16 is pivotally supported on the flange 7. As shown, apin .17 passes through the flange and is-adapted to be re-' ceived inopenings 18 in brackets 19 formed on the jaw. The face of this jaw isprovided with a V-shaped recess 20, the upper and lower walls of whichrecess are parallel" as at 21, and arranged at an angle. Links 22 arepivotally mounted'on' the opposite endsof' a'pin 23 extending-through aboss 24, carried on the upper'portion of the fixed jaw. The. oppositeends of these links are connected toa link-25 by a pin 26. The link 25is in turn connected to the movable jaw by a pin 27,-received inopenings 28 in'the The ends of the pin 26 are connected to coilsprings29, having theirupper ends secured in suitable supports 30, carried bythe cylinder.

A piston 31 is mounted within the cylinder and is adapted to bear uponthe connected ends of links 22 and 25 when fluid is admitted to thecylinder.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The clamp is supported on a bar or pin 6 by the book 5 and the jaws areautomatically arranged on opposite sides of the rail 12. Normally, thesprings 29 exert an upward pull on the adjusted nut or link 25 to swingthe movable jaw 16 on its pivot and disengage it from the rail. Whenfluid is admitted to the cylinder, forcing the piston down, the link 25moves in the opposite direction against the tension of the spring,causing the jaws to engage the rail.

The use of a pneumatic rail clamp is advantageous in that it permitsinstant engagement and disengagement and saves a great deal of timeformerly necessary in adjusting manually operated clamps. The 105 centerof gravity being to one side of the center of the hook causes thestationary jaw to automatically disengage from the rail,

to be positioned slightly above or below the ball or proper level.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: v

1. A rail clamp comprising a cylinder, an arm extending therefrom, afixed jaw, carried by said arm, a movable jaw pivoted thereon,- a pistonin said cylinder adapted to force said movable jaw to locked position,

and means for normally maintaining said movable jaw in open position.

2. A rail clamp comprising a cylinder, an

' arm extending therefrom, a fixed jaw carried by said arm, a movablejaw pivoted thereon, a piston in said cylinder adapted to force saidmovable jaw to locked posi-" tion, and a spring operatively connected tosaid movable jaw to normally maintain it in open position.

3. A rail clamp comprising a cylinder,an armextending therefrom,- afixed jaw carried by said arm, a movable jaw pivoted thereon, a linkpivoted on said arm and connected to said movable jaw, a piston in saidcylinder adapted to engage said link when i lowered position to retainsaid movable jaw in closed position, and means for normally maintainingsaid movable jaw in open position. i

a. A rail clamp comprising a cylinder, an arm extending therefrom, afixed jaw carried by said arm, a movable jaw pivoted thereon, a linkpivoted on said arm and connected to said movable jaw, a piston in armextending therefrom, a fixed aw car-V ried by said arm, a movable jawpivoted thereon, a link pivoted on said arm and connected to saidmovable jaw, a piston in said cylinder adapted to engage said link whenin in closed position, and a hook formed on said web and adapted toengage a suitable support. 7

6. A rail clamp comprising a cylinder, an

arm extending therefrom, a fixed jaw car ried by said arm, a movable jawpivoted thereon, and a piston in said cylinder adapt: ed to force saidmovable jaw to lockedposition.

. lowered positiongto retain said movable jaw In testimony whereof, Iaflix my signa-; I

ture in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. BUTLER.

Witnesses: p

MATE, CUNNINGHAM, W. J. OWEN.

